


Finding Truth

by Heidzzz



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-12 07:24:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12954264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heidzzz/pseuds/Heidzzz
Summary: AU Swanqueen. Emma owns a bar, Gold & Mills wants to tear it down to make room for a bigger building for their firm. What happens when two of the strongest willed women go head to head over this property? Mild Outlawqueen in earlier chapters.





	1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR’S NOTE: So this is my very first attempt at writing, but i need constructive criticism so be sure to read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT.

 

“Tito’s with soda and Lime.”

“Coming right up.” The blonde bartender walks away to grab a glass before pouring the requested order. It was a Tuesday night at The Rabbit Hole. The only patrons being a couple of regulars and a few gruff looking older men playing pool at a worn down pool table. Nothing exciting ever happened on Tuesday’s. Unless you count Leroy (a stocky, short man with an even shorter temper) having a few too many drinks and starting a ruckus with anyone that doesn’t see him eye-to-eye.

“No one can see him eye-to-eye unless they bend down.” The blonde chuckles at her own thoughts as she starts polishing glasses again. She was just putting a highball on the top shelf, when she hears someone clear their throat a bit loudly.

She looks towards the end of the bar and widens her eyes in semi-surprise. In the last seat at her bar, sits the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous woman she has ever seen. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, olive skin glowing under dull lights, her lipstick the color of blood. She was dressed in a tight pencil skirt that hugged her hips perfectly, and an almost sheer white blouse with the top three buttons undone. Her top lip sneering as she looked at the ragged drink menu in front of her.

“What can I do ya for?” The blonde asked as she walked near to the darker woman, a friendly lopsided smile painted on her face.

“I believe it is safe to say you don’t have a wine list?” the woman says still sneering, looking around at the bar with clear disdain. 

“Uhhh, well Ma’am we have a house red and a house white. The house red is a cabernet and the house white is chardonnay.” replies the blonde. 

The darker woman sniffs. “I suppose the cabernet will have to do.”

“Absolutely, be right back.” 

The bartender grabs a cheap looking bottle of red wine, pours it into a wine glass and places it in front of the darker woman. 

“If you need anything else, my name’s Emma, just holler.”

The darker woman raises both of her eyebrows as a slight stunned look crosses her face.

“Emma? As in Emma Swan?”

Emma looks slightly taken aback as she furrows her brow.  
Who the hell is this lady?

“Yeah that’s me, how do you know me? I’m sorry if we have met before, even though i highly doubt we have because i would have definitely remembered a face like your’s.”

The darker woman rolls her eyes at the clear come on. 

“I’m Regina Mills. And you Miss Swan, have a meeting tomorrow with my lawyer and me about this...enchanting establishment.” 

Shit. Emma DOES have a meeting with a Regina Mills tomorrow morning about the bar. The Mill’s family is trying to buy every building on this particular block to demolish them and make room for an office building for Regina’s mother’s law firm Gold & Mills.

Shit. I just casually hit on Regina Mills. THE Regina Mills. The woman trying to ruin my life. The woman trying to take my bar. I just hit on the embodiment of evil. Emma mentally slaps herself in the face.

“Oh. Yeah. I suppose we do.” Emma mumbled awkwardly as she stares down at the ground hoping the darkness of the bar is hiding her rising blush.

“I didn’t expect the owner of the bar to be the actual bartender as well.” Regina states as she looks pointedly at Emma.

“I’m not normally the bartender, but Ruby requested the night off so I’m filling in.”

“How kind of you.”

Regina finishes the wine in her glass, places a $20 on the bar top and goes to gather her things. 

“I will see you tomorrow Miss Swan. 9:30 sharp, do try to be on time.”

With one more disdainful look around the dive bar, Regina stalks towards the door, her Jimmy Choos making a sharp clacking noise against the hardwood floor. Emma stares after her, her eyes dropping to her shapely ass as Regina disappears through the door.

“Shit” Emma thinks for the umpteenth time that evening as she blows blonde curls out of her face.

Tomorrow should be fun


	2. Chapter 2

Regina walks through the threshold of her front door, sets her purse on the oak table next to a winding staircase, slips off her high heels and places them, along with her coat in the closet. 

“Honey?” she calls out. 

“Up here love!” Robin shouts back down the stairs. 

She starts climbing the stairs and she finds Robin in his “office”. The room was supposed to be a nursery. When Robin and Regina were first married, they tried for months to conceive only to be left heartbroken after every failed attempt. After the last time they tried, Regina was completely broken. She had dreamt of having her own child since she herself was a child. The failed attempts had caused a rift in their marriage. One fight in particular forced the first crack in their seemingly solid relationship. It happened right after their last doctor’s appointment where they were informed that the in vitro fertilization didn’t work, again.

Regina was sobbing in the passenger seat by the time they pulled up to their house after the doctor’s appointment.

“Love it’s okay, it’s all going to be ok-”

“NO IT IS NOT ROBIN! IT’S NOT JUST GOING TO BE OKAY! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH OF A FAILURE I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW! 

Robin stared at his lap, trying to think of the best thing to say to comfort Regina. Unfortunately he did the exact opposite.

“Try to look at this way love, maybe it’s for the best. Maybe it’s supposed to be this way. It’s a sign that we probably shouldn’t have children.”

“WHAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?! THIS IS HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE?! I’M SUPPOSED TO BE BARREN? BECAUSE NO ROBIN, THIS ISN’T RIGHT! NONE OF THIS IS RIGHT! WE’VE BEEN TRYING SO HARD FOR A CHILD AND NOW YOU’RE TELLING ME TO THROW IN THE TOWEL? 

“No all I was trying to say was maybe it's better to not conceive, to not put hope in something so fragile only for it to be possibly ruined later on.”

“SO THAT’S IT? YOU THINK THAT EVEN IF I WERE TO GET PREGNANT I WOULD PROBABLY LOSE IT?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ME?

Robin stared straight ahead gripping the steering wheel while Regina was trembling, crying, and flushed with anger and tears. Neither said anything for a few moments after.

Finally Regina muttered “I’m going to stay at my mother’s tonight. She’s out of town and I just want to be alone.”   
Robin was at a loss for words. He knew his wife was hurting, he was hurting as well. He had wanted a child when they first started trying but after disappointment after disappointment he had honestly given up on the thought of having a child with Regina months ago. Regina got out of the Mercedes, slammed the door and stalked inside to gather clothes for the evening. She left for the night without even saying goodbye.

“What are you doing?” asked Regina as she leaned against the doorframe. Robin was digging through a stack of paperwork on his desk, looking a bit stressed when he replied.

“I can’t find Vanessa Ruiz's paperwork. I swear I left it right here. I have a meeting with her in the morning and I want to double check the information. I don’t want to go into this meeting blind.”

Robin Mills owned a well known contracting business. He remodeled homes in Boston. His father had left him the business when he passed a few years ago. His father built his company from the ground up. Robin was a hard working, yet stressed out man. He had never wanted to take over his father’s company but did so out of loyalty. 

Regina walked behind him and started to rub his shoulders. 

“Do you want me to help you find it?” she said into his ear. Robin shrugged her hands off of his shoulders. 

“No, I got it, thanks.” he replied while continuing to rifle through his papers. Regina stopped herself from rolling her eyes and stepped out from behind him to walk back out of the room. Robin’s phone then dinged with a new text message. Regina glanced down to see it was from his assistant Rachel. The message preview said R u going to be free Saturday? Regina furrowed her eyebrows. Robin doesn’t work on Saturdays. 

“What does Rachel need you to do on Saturday?” she asked.

Robin waved his hand dismissively and replied “I’m supposed to be meeting a new client at a restaurant Saturday night”

“But I thought you weren’t accepting any more contracts right now?”

“Rachel informed me that it’s supposedly a quick job, easy money. I can handle it.”

Regina hummed in response. She accepted his answer but was still a bit wary. Robin had been kind of distant lately. Regina started to notice more late nights at the office, more weekend trips for clients. It was beginning to make her suspicious. She wouldn’t be as suspicious if he would just get a new assistant. Rachel was a really nice, competent, and harding working girl. She also happened to be stunning. She had a curvy build, medium length brown hair and crystal blue eyes. Her “business casual” attire for work included many form fitted dresses that fell right on the line of appropriate. Regina wasn’t jealous of Rachel’s appearance, as she knew she was very attractive herself but she was slightly worried that Robin saw Rachel as younger and possibly more fun than she. 

Regina walked back downstairs and headed into the kitchen. She walked up to her wine rack, grabbing a bottle of pinot noir and a wine glass and went to settle in the den with her book.

 

 

It was nearing 4am by the time Emma quietly entered her apartment that night, closing the door with a snick behind her. She walked into her living room towards the shelf that held a couple of pictures framed. She glanced over each one. 

The first was a picture of her and her foster parents, Mary Margaret and David Nolan, when she graduated from high school. They were all smiling brightly at the camera. In the system, Emma had gone through a lot of different families before the Nolan’s came into her life. She bounced around from family to family, school to school until she was 15. The Nolan’s were everything she wanted as a family; they were loving, kind, and always so supportive. 

The next picture was of her and Ruby, her very best friend, at the opening of The Rabbit Hole. Emma and Ruby had worked day in and day out to finally buy the space for the bar. Blood, sweat, and tears had gone into opening the bar 5 years ago. 

The last picture on the shelf was of a man with an easy-going smile, dark brown hair, and twinkling eyes cradling an infant in his arms. Emma smile a bit sadly as she remembered the days after this picture was taken. Neal was her high school sweetheart. They had been best friends since she moved to Boston, which blossomed into a romantic relationship quickly. Emma found out she was pregnant at 18, right as she was starting college. Baby Henry was definitely a surprise but never a mistake. Neal and Emma worked hard so they could give Henry everything he ever needed. 

Neal and her never married, but that didn’t mean they weren’t head over heels in love with each other. Unfortunately, Henry wouldn’t remember his father since a car accident took Neal from his family far too soon. The picture on the shelf was taken 3 days prior to the accident. Emma brushed her fingertips against Neal’s face on the picture and whispered “I miss you so much.”

She walked away from her living room, down the hall and stopped at the door on the left hand side and peeked into her son’s bedroom. She quietly chuckled as she looked at his sleeping position. He was sprawled out diagonally across his double sized bed, snoring softly, mouth wide open and drooling onto his pillow. He had definitely taken after her in that aspect. 

Her baby boy was definitely not a baby anymore. He was 15 years old and definitely starting to become a man. His voice had started to deepen and Emma saw more and more of Neal’s charm exude from Henry’s own personality. He’s turning into Neal, Emma thought as she closed his bedroom door and headed back towards the living room. 

She walked straight into the kitchen, opened her fridge door and pulled out a bottle of beer. She opened and sat back down in her living room and turned on her t.v.


	3. Chapter 3

“She can’t possibly pass up this deal, and if she does she’s out of her mind.” Regina heard as she walked into the conference room at her mother’s office. 

Robert Gold was leaning against the conference table twisting his cane in his hand while discussing matters with Cora, Regina’s mother. 

“Well she better take the deal, because I’m not offering a penny more.” Cora replied curtly. 

Cora Mills was one intimidating lady. Her presence alone sent shivers down most people’s backs and Regina was no exception. Her voice was as sharp as a razor and normally colder than a glacier. Regina’s official title was office manager, but what that actually meant was she was a glorified servant for her mother. Of course she had power above everyone else in the company that worked for her mother and Mr. Gold but that didn’t stop Cora from making Regina know her place. Which was below her. 

“Here you are mother, Mr. Gold.” Regina said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she passed both of them cardboard coffee cups.

“Oh darling, here you are. I thought you weren’t going to show up at all. You’re late.” Cora tsked.

Regina glanced at her wristwatch and caught the time. She wasn’t late, she was actually 5 minutes early but she wasn’t about to argue it with her mother. She ducked her head and looked towards the floor. 

“I’m sorry mother.” 

“It’s quite alright dear, let’s hope Miss Swan knows better than you to keep me waiting.” 

Regina had to stop herself from shaking her head. She wanted to point out that Miss Swan had the upper hand here and if she didn’t accept her mother’s offer for the property then they were, for lack of a better phrase, shit out of luck. She thought this whole venture was ridiculous. She didn’t understand why her mother and Mr. Gold had decided that they needed a larger office space. It wasn’t as if they were bringing on more employees or clients. Regina deduced that the plan to expand was just another way for Cora to hold power over someone. 

Cora has always been completely obsessed with having power in every sense of the word. Every possible way that she could have power, she wouldn’t give up until she was on top. She had tried to raise her daughter the same way. She made sure to send Regina to the finest schools, made sure she had the very best education so that one day Regina could follow in her footsteps.

Regina had all but completely obeyed her mother ever since she was a small child. The very few times she had ever rebelled, turned out very badly in Regina’s favor. Cora was controlling, cold, and didn’t have a maternal bone in her entire body. And Regina paid the price for that. 

Granted having a fairly sheltered, and controlled childhood Regina still loved her mother so very much. 

There was a knock on the door. Emma walked in, back straight and held out her hand to Cora to shake.

“Hello Mrs. Mills, it’s so nic-”

“You’re late Miss Swan” Cora turned on her heel and strode away from Emma, completely ignoring her hand. 

Emma’s eyebrows shot up. This woman sure is a piece of work. Emma glanced around the room. Cora was settling into a chair at the head of the conference table, Gold remained standing behind her chair, and Regina sat to her mother’s left. 

Emma scratched the back of her head awkwardly, not really knowing whether or not she should sit. Cora answered that question almost instantly.

“Sit” she commanded and waved her hand to the chair to her right. 

Emma found her confidence again,

“No actually I’d rather stand.” 

Cora barely hid her reaction to being disobeyed. 

She sneered before muttering “Suit yourself.” 

Mr. Gold then cleared his throat and pushed some papers toward Emma standing to the right of Cora.

“Let’s just get straight to it then, shall we? This is the amount we are willing to purchase the property for. As you can see it’s above the market price and against my advice, Cora insists that she wants to start building as soon as possible.” 

Emma looked down at the piece of paper that was in front of her, saw the amount in the corner and once again her eyebrows climbed to her hairline. 

That’s a whole lotta zeroes. Emma thought to herself. 

Cora noticed her surprise and smirked slightly. She knew Miss Swan couldn’t possibly pass an offer like this up and had already started making plans to call in her contractor today- 

“No.” Emma stood up straight again. Cora quickly masked her surprise again. 

“Miss Swan, I do not believe you understand-” 

“No I understand just fine, I understand that you bought the entire block and my bar is the only thing in your way. I understand that you think a large lump sum equates to the past 5 years of hard work I have put into my bar but money is a renewable resource ma’am. With all due respect, I decline your offer.”

Emma turned around and headed towards the door. Regina and Mr. Gold were both staring in disbelief at the brave blonde woman that just shot Cora down in just a few sentences.

“Don’t bother me again, I’m not selling my bar, to you or anyone.” Emma shot over her shoulder before disappearing through the door. 

Cora was now standing with an uncharacteristic stunned look on her face. As soon as Emma had disappeared, her shocked face turned into one of complete fury. She growled in anger and walked to the door Emma had left opened and slammed it. 

“That insolent little creature” Cora gritted out. She was breathing fast and hard through her nose as her anger built. 

Mr. Gold walked behind her, set his hand tentatively on her shoulder and murmured “We will figure this out.” 

Regina was still sitting in her chair, unmoving. She couldn’t believe that someone talked to her mother that way. It wasn’t so much as what Emma said but how definite she said it. She was actually mildly impressed with the blonde. Cora had calmed down quite a bit, or at least wasn’t looking on the verge of spontaneously combusting and turned to Regina. 

“Regina, I need your help.”

The cogs in Cora’s mind were turning and she had already started scheming.

“I WILL get that bar, if it’s the last thing I do. Miss Swan clearly just needs a little convincing. Be a dear, go to her little establishment Friday evening. Bring Katherine. I need you both to get a little more information about Miss Swan. I need to find out her weakness.” 

“But Mother, she knows who I am, she’ll realize I am there to help you.” 

“FIGURE SOMETHING OUT!”


	4. Chapter 4

The Rabbit Hole was buzzing with energy. It was the first Friday of the month and that was always the busiest night for the small bar. Emma was sitting at her desk in the small back office when a knock on the door brought her attention away from the invoices that sat in front of her.

“Hey boss, are you going to come out of your cave tonight?” Ruby asked with a wolfish grin.

Emma gave a lopsided smile back and replied. 

“Yeah, I’m just finishing these up and then I’m coming out. Do you need someone to look after the bar or something?”

“Nah, Tink’s got it for now. I just came to check on you. You haven’t came out yet and it's almost 11.”

Ruby and Tina Bell (nicknamed Tink because of how similar her name and attitude to the fairy tale character) were the bartenders on Friday and Saturday nights. Weekends were busy pretty much the whole time the bar was open but the peak hour was quickly approaching. Most bar guests arrived a little after 11.   
“Yeah I think I’m going to have a couple drinks tonight actually. I need something to help me wind down after this week” Emma said while running her hand through her blonde curls.

Ruby gave her a knowing smile and said “I gotcha girl. I’m going to go catch a cigarette break before the madness begins. I’ll see you inside.”

She bounced out of the office and headed to the back door. 

Emma sighed and looked back down at the invoices. Without finishing them, she filed them away in a folder, put it in her desk and started to make her way out of her office, down the dimly lit hallway, and into the bar. She sat at one of the empty bar tables near the end of the bar and pulled out her cellphone and started going through the few messages she had received while doing invoices. 

Henry had texted her to let her know he was going to stay at his friend Nicholas’s house tonight and that he locked up before he left. Emma was fairly lenient when it came to Henry spending time with his friends. He had a good head on his shoulders and never got into much trouble. Mary Margaret had also texted and asked how the meeting with Gold & Mills went. Emma had only told Ruby about what had happened in that meeting. She figured that Ruby deserved to know since it probably wasn’t going to be the last time she heard from the lawyers. 

After sending a quick message to Mary Margaret stating that everything went fine, she mindlessly started scrolling through Facebook. 

“Can i get ya anything bosslady?” Tink flashed a smile at Emma, looking at her expectantly. 

“Yeah, actually, can I get a Manhattan?”

“You can put that on my tab” purred a voice from behind Emma. Emma’s eyebrows shoot up as she whips around to see Regina Mills standing behind her. 

“That’s not really necessary since it's on the house, since you know, I own the house.”

“Yes, yes of course.” Regina waves her hand dismissively. “But I just felt compelled to buy a drink for the woman who handled herself in front of my mother the way you did. I must say I’m impressed. No one speaks to Mother so adamantly”. 

Emma looked at her a bit curiously before replying. 

“Yeah well, I’m not one to beat around the bush. I like to be pretty direct. With that being said, why are you here?” 

Regina gave a small laugh. 

“Well Miss Swan, I did just express my desire to buy you a drink. But also my friend Katherine wanted to have drinks in celebration of her promotion at her job. She gestured to a pretty blonde woman standing at the bar, trying to shout her order at Ruby. 

“May I sit?” Regina asked looking down at the worn empty barstool across from Emma. 

Emma shrugged “Sure.” She was pretty suspicious as to why Regina wanted to talk to her. Katherine joined them at the table, set down a gin and tonic in front of Regina and had a cosmo in her other hand. She sipped daintily at her cosmo before making smiling. 

“Hi, I’m Katherine. Are you the famous Emma Swan I’ve been hearing about?” She reached her hand out to shake Emma’s. Emma laughed a bit. 

“Yeah that’s me but I don’t know about famous.” 

“This is a nice bar you have.” Katherine offers while glancing around. “Quaint but still nice.” 

Emma rubbed her hands on the leg of her jeans before answering. 

“Thanks, I’ve put a lot of hard work into it, and have a great staff to make it run smoothly. 

She looked over at the bar and Ruby was looking at her table with her eyebrows furrowed, trying to figure out who the women at Emma’s table were. Emma gave her a look that said “later”. 

She picked up her drink that Tink had dropped off a bit ago and took a decent gulp. 

“Do you always drink at your own bar?” asked Regina after a moment of awkward silence. 

“Mostly yeah, I mean I don’t have to pay for my drinks and I can still keep an eye on everything. Plus I don’t have a whole lot of time to go out.” 

“Oh yes, I imagine running a bar can be rather time consuming.” Regina replied. 

“What about your family? Husband? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Do they mind your late hours?” Katherine asked. Emma spluttered on her drink a bit. 

She cleared her throat and said “Er.. not married, no significant other. I have a son, Henry. I take days off to spend time with him.” 

“Oh does he live with his father?” 

This line of questioning was beginning to feel like an interrogation or an interview and it had begun to make Emma a bit uncomfortable. She didn’t like talking about her personal life with people she knew, nonetheless complete strangers. 

“Uh, his dad passed away when he was young.”

Regina’s face softened at this admission. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” she said as she picked up her drink to finish it. 

“Katherine darling, I believe we have intruded enough on Miss Swan this evening and I also need another drink. It was lovely to see you Miss Swan, maybe I’ll buy you that drink sometime soon.” She smiled and led Katherine back to the end of the bar to order more drinks.

Well that was fucking weird Emma thought as she finished her own drink and walked to the other end of the bar to talk to Ruby. 

“Who were the babes?” Ruby asked with a wide grin.

“The tan brunette is Regina Mills and the blonde is her friend Katherine.” Ruby looked surprised.

“What are they doing here? What’d they want with you?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. They asked questions about my family and told me I was impressive for standing up to Cora the way I did.”

“Well that’s pretty strange.” Ruby said as she glanced at the pair who were talking to Tink. 

“Yeah, do me a favor and keep an eye on them. I doubt they’re here just to hang out and I don’t trust any of the Mills family.”

“You got it boss.” Ruby turned away to take orders from some guests at the center of the bar. Emma placed her now empty glass on the bar top and nodded at Tink while she was making cocktails for another of her own.

The bar table Emma was at was quickly filled up so she stayed standing at the bar. 

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” A dark haired man stepped up beside Emma and placed his drink next to hers. He had bright blue eyes, a scraggly beard and would be considered attractive if it weren’t for the fact that he was leering at Emma and his eyes seemed to be permanently glued to Emma’s chest. Emma gave an uncomfortable smile muttered a thank you and turned her body away from him.   
“My name’s Killian, and let me guess, your name has to be Angel. Because I’m certain that’s what you are.”

Emma rolled her eyes at the line. 

“No my name isn’t Angel.” She turned her body almost fully away from him. For some goddamn reason he took this as an invitation to put his hand on the small of her back. He leaned to her ear and said “Well luv, what’s in your glass, the next one is on me.” Emma shrugged away from him. “No thank you.” 

“Oh come on luv, it's one drink-”

“She said no, so I’d advise you to move along.” comes a voice from the other side of Killian. Regina is standing behind him with her hands on her hips, staring coldly at him.   
“Go on, please don’t make me say it again.”

Killian curled his lip into a sneer and brushed past Regina, probably to try and pick up some other unsuspecting girl. 

“You didn’t have to do that, I can handle the creeps in here myself.”

“A simple thank you would’ve sufficed, Miss Swan.” Regina rolled her eyes. “Unless of course you wanted that cretin to hit on you.”

“Of course I didn’t, but I could’ve handled it just fine. Guys like him are in here all the time, and I’ve never needed anyone to help me before.” Emma gritted out.

“My mistake, I’ll just be leaving then. Good luck battling the scum.” Regina went to turn away.

“Hey wait.” Emma grabbed Regina’s arm. Regina looked down at Emma’s hand and was pleasantly surprised at the comfort it brought to her body. “Look I’m sorry you’re right. Thank you for helping. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

Regina sniffed. “Yes well, you’re forgiven and it’s no matter. I just figured he was getting a bit too close for comfort.” Regina looked into bright green eyes and gave a small smile that Emma returned.

“I really do need to get going, my husband is expecting me back soon.” Emma deflated at these words. She honestly didn’t want Regina to leave but didn’t quite understand why that was.

“Oh husband?” 

“Yes, Robin.” Regina replied but left it at that.   
“Well alright, get home safe. Maybe I will see you around.”

“You as well Miss Swan, goodnight.” And with that Regina disappeared in the hoard of people.

Emma finished her second drink of the evening, and walked up to Ruby.

“Ya think you can close up tonight? I was going to head home.” she asked her tall brunette friend.

“Sure thing babydoll, see you tomorrow.” Ruby blew a kiss in her direction and Emma smiled and walked out of the bar.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina pulled into the driveway of 108 Mifflin St and killed the engine to her black Mercedes. She stopped to notice that a white convertible she didn't recognize had parked on the street in front of her mailbox. Glancing back at it with curiosity she walked up to the door and unlocked it. As she stepped into her foyer she heard low voices coming from Robin’s office. 

“When are you going to tell her Robin?” said a woman’s voice that had a familiarity to it but Regina couldn’t quite place. 

“Soon, I just have to figure out how to tell her.”She heard Robin’s response to the mystery woman's inquiries. 

Regina slowly inched up the stairs as quietly as possible and got closer to the door in order to hear better. Neither Robin nor his guest were alerted to her arrival. 

 

“Well, you know I don’t share well.” replied the woman as she gave a small mischievous chuckle.

Regina could no longer stand not knowing what the hell was going on behind the office door and opened the door to see a startled Rachel, Robin’s assistant, jump away from Robin as if she’d been burned. 

“What the hell is this?” demanded Regina in an icy tone, quickly losing her patience.

“R-Regina, honey, you’re back. Rachel here was just dropping off some paperwork that I needed.” Robin stuttered out as clumsily as a baby doe. 

Rachel stood back with wide eyes looking incredibly guilty. Regina glanced at the clock.

“Oh was she? At 1:30 in the morning?”

“Y-yes honey, I needed these papers tonight.”

Regina quickly glanced at the stack of papers in front of Robin on his desk. 

“Robin, those papers were on your desk this afternoon. Would you like a moment to come up with another ridiculous excuse, or would you like to tell me just what the hell this is?” Regina gestured ridiculously with her hand toward Robin and Rachel. 

Rachel seemed to have gained her confidence back and stepped forward. She placed a hand on Robin’s forearm saying quietly “Just tell her.”

Robin ran his hand through his hair and sucked in a dry breath before speaking. 

“Regina, I wanted to sit you down and discuss this together but things apparently don’t always go as I’ve planned. I’m leaving, Regina. I’ve fallen in love with Rachel. I’m having divorce papers drawn up. You can keep the house, the car, everything. I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep living this lie. Our life has become so monotonous...”

Regina just stared at him. She didn’t say a single word, her facial expression stoic and unshifting. She had been expecting this but now that it was actually happening she didn’t know how to feel. Part of her was discoursed, deep down she was sad of course. Robin had been her husband for years. She had lost her virginity to this man. He was all she’d ever known. Then on the other side of things there was this nagging feeling that she could barely grasp. Possibly relief? She knew neither of them had been happy for quite some time. It wasn’t as though she hated Robin or the life they had together, but she wasn’t happy. She was well aware at this point that Robin wasn’t happy and hadn’t been for some time.

“Honey, are you going to say anything?” Robin said wryly after the moment of awkward silence.

“How long?” Regina asked. 

This time Rachel spoke up “Three years” she said quietly as she looked down. At least she had the decency to look ashamed of herself thought Regina as her eyes widened in surprise. She had expected a few months, maybe a year at the most, but 3 whole years? How could she have not caught on for 3 years?

“Get out” Regina said in low voice.

“Get the fuck out of my house, both of you!” She refuted, scowling this time.

Rachel didn’t need any more encouragement. She walked swiftly down the stairs as Robin stood there. Watching his soon-to-be ex wife breathe heavily as she tried to tamper down her rage at being made a fool of for 3 years. 

“I’ll have my lawyer send you the papers and I’ll come by next week for my things.”  
He paused for a moment and then let out softly “I really am sorry you found out like this.” He grabbed his briefcase with a sullen expression as he headed through the doorway.

As soon as she heard the front door close, she crumpled onto the floor, and began sobbing with her face in her hands. The feelings of defeat wrenching her emotions in every direction.

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“Henry James Swan! Get your ass in here right this second!”

Henry walked out of his bedroom grumbling about having been awakened before noon on a Sunday. 

“Yeah, Ma?”

“What the hell is this?” Emma said as she shook a piece of paper in her hand.

“I don’t know, a piece of paper?”

“Don’t be a smart ass Henry, what the hell did you get written up for at school?”

“It wasn’t my fault, this guy Felix was being a complete dick to Ava! I was just standing up for her! He called her a slut after she wouldn’t go out with him. I didn’t even hit him, I just grabbed his shirt.”

Emma’s face softened a bit. She knew about Henry’s crush on Ava and his “hero-like” tendencies. 

“You can stand up to people without resorting to violence.”

“Oh, and watch your mouth.”

“I only grabbed his shir-”

“Henry” Emma said with a warning tone “You know what this means.”

“I’m grounded?” he replied in defeat.

“Yeah, kid. One week. No phone, no going out, no video games.”

“Fine. Can I go back to my room now?”

Emma held out her hand. 

“Gimme the phone.” Henry took his phone out of his pocket and passed it to his mom.

“Kid, next time tell someone. Don’t start a fight. I raised you better than that.”

Henry grumbled and walked back to his room. Emma set the note from his school on the coffee table and slumped down onto the couch. She rubbed her face with her hands, feeling all sorts of stressed out. Between Henry getting in trouble at school, the lack of sleep she had been getting from staying too late at the bar, and the whole Gold & Mills situation she was wound tighter than a drum. She needed some time to herself badly. With that thought in her head, she picked up her phone and texted Ruby. 

Hey Rubes, im taking the night off tonight. Text me if u need anything. But also dont need anything lol

She put down her phone and remembered Regina’s offer to buy her a drink, simultaneously she contemplated giving her a call to take her up on that offer. She had gone as far as to pulling her business card out of her wallet. She studied the business card and made a decision, that she wanted to find out more about this woman. The best way to do that would obviously be whilst slightly inebriated. She dialed Regina’s mobile.

“Hello?”

“Hey, its Emma. Emma Swan.”

“Oh, hello Miss Swan.” Regina replied, her voice devoid of all emotion.

There was a small pause, and Emma started second guessing the call.

“Uh, anyways I was just wondering if you were like, I don’t know, busy tonight? I was going to go to a bar that, you know, I didn’t own and you said last time that you wanted to buy me a drink. Not that I need you to buy me a drink, I’m just saying because that’s what you said and I would-”

“Miss Swan.”

“-really just buy my own and I kind of just need to go out and was wondering-”

“Miss Swan” Regina said a bit firmer.

“-if you wanted to- Oh huh?”

“Do you make a habit of rambling often or am I just lucky enough to have witnessed it.”

Emma chuckled nervously and drew in a breath to reply.

“Sorry about that. Do you want to meet up for a drink tonight?”

“Fine Miss Swan, where and when shall I meet you?”

“Uh. 23rd and Main. Say like 8 o’clock?”

“Sounds good, I will see you tonight.”

“See you later”

Emma hung up and sighed. Now to find something to wear. She thought to herself.

 

Regina hung up her phone and smiled slightly. She was sitting in her den when Miss Swan had called. It had only been a day and a half since Robin walked out on her, and besides the small breakdown in the office the same night she hadn’t shown much emotion to the situation. She was stressed out and was honestly a bit excited to see Miss Swan again. There was something about that idiotic, blunt blonde that intrigued her. Plus, Cora still wanted more information on her so having drinks with her tonight would be benefiting her mother and her. 

“I suppose I need to find something to wear.” Regina said outloud to herself, feeling slightly more enthralled than she had before.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma walked through the glass door to the bottom floor of Lookout Rooftop Bar. She hadn’t been here before. It was a bit over her budget, too fancy, and not quite her style but she felt it was definitely Regina’s. She glanced over at her phone to the last message Regina had sent informing her that she would be arriving shortly and to just meet at the bar on the rooftop. Emma had been on the verge of a panic attack since Regina accepted the invite and her nerves were getting progressively worse as 8 o’clock drew nearer. She wiped her sweaty palms on the slacks she was wearing. 

She had decided on a business casual outfit consisting of tan slacks, and an emerald green blouse with a modest neckline that Ruby told her brought her eyes. As she made her way to the rooftop she scanned the bar to see if Regina had already arrived. Not seeing anyone she recognized she sat in the center of the bar with an empty seat next to her. She ordered a whiskey sour and was taking her first sip as she heard a familiar voice from somewhere behind her..

“Is this seat taken?” purred Regina gesturing to the seat next to Emma. Emma turned around to fully look at Regina and her jaw actually dropped. Regina was in a very slim black dress that hugged every curve like a second skin. The slit on the hem of her dress came up to mid thigh, the neck line scooping very low leaving plenty of cleavage right in Emma’s line of sight. Emma blinked a few times and finally realized she was gawking.

“Uh yeah- I mean no, it’s not, you’re fine, yeah, have a seat.” The heat in her cheeks was burning and there was no way that her entire face and neck weren’t pink with a telling blush.

“You look amazing.” Emma commented.

“Well Miss Swan, you do clean up nicely yourself.” Regina replied, her eyes scanning down Emma’s body appreciatively.

“Have you ever been here?” Emma asked while trying not to gulp her drink in an attempt to calm down. 

“A few times.” Regina said with an air of indifference. “They have a nice wine selection. The Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon is a personal favorite of mine.” 

Emma kept rubbing her hands along the thighs of her pants to wipe off the sweat that had accumulated in her palms. She couldn’t quite understand why she was so nervous around Regina. It’s not like she’d never been around a beautiful woman before. She’d been around plenty, and yet none had made her feel so out of control. 

“Dear, you’ll catch flies.” Regina said amusedly. Emma had been zoned out for a few seconds and her mouth was hanging open awkwardly. She clamped her jaw shut, blinked a few times and shrugged trying to portray nonchalance. 

“My bad, I just got lost in thought for a second.” Emma said. 

“It is quite alright, dear. So, Miss Swan what do I owe the pleasure of this little meeting? Was there something in specific you would like to discuss?” 

“Oh, er, no nothing in specific. I had a rough day, Henry got in trouble at school and I needed a drink and you did offer.” Emma sat back against the bar chair and continued. 

“I guess I just needed to get out with a friend or something. Relax a little bit.” Regina raised her eyebrows. 

“Friend?”

“I mean, we could be. To be honest, I actually know almost nothing about you besides what I found on Google.” Emma flushed after that, embarrassed to have admitted to looking Regina up online. 

“I wanted to know what I was walking into for that meeting is all. I looked up your mom and Gold as well. Regina chuckled at Emma’s embarrassment. 

“It is fine, dear. It’s important to be well prepared. What else would you like to know?” 

“Well you said you had a husband, what’s he like?” Regina’s face fell before she could school her features. She probably should’ve have known better than to allow Emma to ask any type of question about her. Emma caught her downtrodden look before it was replaced with a mask. 

“It’s okay if you would rather not talk about our personal lives” Emma tried backtracking. 

“No it is fine Miss Swan, I did ask you what you would like to know about me. To be quite honest, he’s a good man but we are no longer together.” Emma looked at her confused, since just a few nights ago Regina mentioned going home to him. Regina noticed and continued in a softer voice than Emma had heard her use before. 

“It just happened a few nights ago…” 

“I’m so sorry Regina, that’s awful. I didn’t know.” 

Regina shrugged. “It is quite alright dear. You didn’t know.” 

“How long have you known Katherine?” Emma asked thankfully changing the subject.

“Quite a number of years, actually. She is one of my closest friends. We competed in show jumping together as teenagers.” This was a safe topic for Regina to discuss. Her relationship (the end of such), her mother, the deal, or children were all subjects she didn’t want to broach this evening. 

“Horses, Miss Swan.” Regina supplied noticing Emma furrowed eyebrows. “I’ve been riding horses since I could walk. My father taught me how to ride right after I learned to tie my shoes actually.”

“Mr. Gold taught you how to ride?” Emma asked disbelievingly. Regina chuckled at this. 

“Oh no, Gold is my step-father. He married my mother when I was 18. My father’s name was Enrique Martinez.’ Emma noticed the past tense used. Regina’s face was glowing as she continued to talk about her father. 

“He was an amazing man. He was kind, patient, and taught me everything that my mother didn’t want me to know, including riding, Spanish, and fishing.” Emma looked confused for a moment. 

“Why didn’t your mother want you learning Spanish?” 

“She refused to learn and didn’t think it would be necessary for the career path she had set for me. Daddy and I only spoke it when she wasn’t home. She even went as far to keep her maiden name while they were married, made me use her maiden name, and convinced Robin to take my name after we were married. She believed that having a Latin background wouldn’t be beneficial for any of us.”

“Do you ever speak Spanish now?”

“Si”

Emma smiled, trying absorbing everything Regina had just told her. She could see the love Regina had for her father written all over her face when she spoke. It was endearing. 

They continued getting to know each other, telling each other stories of the past until the bartender called out last call. 

“Oh wow, time has really gotten away from us Miss Swan.” Regina said motioning to the bartender for their tab. She pulled out her card and told the bartender that Emma’s drinks were on her tab. 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Emma said quickly trying to pull out her wallet. Regina placed her hand on Emma’s to stop her from getting out any money.

“Please, let me. You can get the bill the next time.” Regina insisted. Emma smiled and put her wallet away, simpering at the fact that there will be a next time. She truly had enjoyed her night. They walked together to leave the bar and when they walked through the exit Regina turned toward Emma. 

“Thank you for a wonderful night.” She leaned forward to hug Emma. As soon as Emma’s arms were around Regina, her stomach rolled and flipped and she couldn’t stop the grin that beamed her face as they pulled away. 

“Yeah it was great, we should definitely do it again sometime.”

“Well… I’m this way” Emma stated pointing her thumb behind her. 

“You aren’t going to drive right?”

“No Miss Swan, my driver will be here shortly.” No sooner had the words came out of her mouth that a black town car pulled up to the curb beside them.

“Goodnight Regina” Emma said, flashing a smile that reflected her coquettish intentions as she began to make her way in the direction of her apartment. 

“Goodnight Miss Swan, do be safe” Regina replied before sliding into the back seat of the town car.


	7. Chapter 7

“Well?” Katherine asked as she was leaning against Regina’s island in the middle of her kitchen sipping a glass of wine looking expectantly at the darker woman across from her. 

“Well, what?” Regina replied coolly, not entirely certain of what Katherine wanted to hear about.

“What happened with Robin?” Katherine asked as if it were obvious that’s what she was implying. “Have you told Cora? Did you catch them, like, in the act? Do I need to research how to hide bodies?” Regina uncharacteristically snorted at the last question. 

“No, dear, I have not informed Mother. I do not believe I am quite ready for that trainwreck of a conversation. I did not catch them mid-coitus if that is what you mean, although when I walked into his office that night, they jumped apart pretty quickly. Also, I do believe if my best friend’s search history included “how to hide a body” we would both end up in prison and you know good and well neither of us look good in orange.”

Katherine chuckled as she refilled her glass and topped Regina’s off. Regina was no longer in an overly emotional state about her separation and soon-to-be divorce. Besides mentioning it to Emma a few nights ago, she hadn’t actually spoken to anyone about it. However, when Katherine called her earlier in the day to see about getting together to discuss how they were going to find out more information on Emma Swan, Regina had blurted out that Robin cheated and he had left her. So instead of coming around later in the evening, Katherine told her assistant to forward all calls to her cell, went straight to the nearest grocery store, grabbed four bottles of Malbec and drove straight to Regina’s home. Katherine was relatively surprised to find Regina in a state of calm. No hysterics, no tantrums, just a calm demeanor and look of disbelief when Katherine pulled out all four bottles at once from the grocery bag in her arms. 

“To be honest, you’re handling this all fairly well. Definitely a lot better than I would have.” Katherine remarked.

“You missed the waterworks. I did my crying already. Is it crazy of me to actually feel a bit of relief? Do not get me wrong, I loved Robin. I mean, I love Robin.” Regina hastily corrected herself. “But there is a part of me that saw this coming. We were not happy. We were just existing alongside each other.” Regina explained while circling the rim of her glass with her middle finger.

“Well, he’s still an ass for being unfaithful. There are definitely better ways to ask for a divorce than with your mistress literally in the room.” Katherine sneered. “I would’ve hit the bitch. Rachel, I mean.” she clarified. Regina rolled her eyes at her friend and took another sip of her wine. 

“I will not pretend that the thought had not crossed my mind. But it wasn’t her infidelity, it was his. He did look truly apologetic.” 

Katherine scoffed. “Well damn right, he should be apologetic. Are you going to need a place to stay? I know you won’t want to stay with Gold and Cora.”

“No, no, he does not plan on fighting me for the house or car or any of that. Which is probably in his best interest because you know Mother would take everything that man has.”

“You’re going to have Cora be your divorce attorney?” asked Katherine, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Yes. I am however going to have to actually tell her about the divorce.” Regina sighed. “She is going to blame me, of course. If I manage to finish telling her what happened, she will either say I should have tried harder or I made a mistake to marry him in the first place.”

Cora had no issue making her opinions on every aspect of Regina’s life very well known to Regina. Regina grew up with her mother disappointed with her. When she was accepted to Stanford Law School, her mother scoffed and said “You will not be going across the country for a 4th ranked law school. You better hope you get accepted into Harvard young lady.” She did go to Harvard Law School, yet, never took the bar exam. Just another bullet to the list of disappointments in the eyes of her mother. 

“Besides, if he sticks with his plan of making this as amicable as possible, Mother does not even have to do very much. We just have to file jointly for an uncontested divorce, sign the papers and get on with our lives.” Regina let out a long sigh. “I’m still more concerned about telling Mother than any of the other process.

“It’ll be fine, darling.” Katherine said as she placed her hand on Regina’s forearm in a supportive manner.

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“MOOOOOOM, THERE’S SOMEONE AT THE DOOR!” Henry shouted from his spot on the couch, not looking up from the journal he was furiously writing in.

Emma walked into the living room from the hallway and glared at her kid.

“Oh yeah, kid? And you couldn’t be bothered to, ya know, get up and answer it? Ya had to shout it instead?” Emma chastised.

“Sorry Ma, I am almost finished this chapter.” Henry replied sheepishly, his face screwed up in concentration.

Shaking her head at Henry, she walked to the door to greet whoever was knocking on it. 

“Hiya Rubes.” she says swinging open the door to let the lanky brunette in. “Whatcha got?”

Ruby pulled out a 6 pack of IPA with one hand and a pizza box in the other and grinned. “Time to celebrate.” She set the beer on the coffee table. “Hey Mini Swan.” she said looking at Henry. Henry grunted in reply and lifted one finger in reply.

“Don’t mind him, his teenage hormones have clearly destroyed all of his manners. Put that away for right now or take it into your room, kid.” As Henry disappeared into his room, Emma asked: “what are we celebrating?”

“Victory dude! You didn’t cave to the Evil Queens and their henchman Mr. Gold and we made double the profit this month than last month.” Ruby replied as she popped open her beer. 

“I wouldn’t call Regina evil. She’s actually kinda alright. Her mom though, yeah she’s evil. That woman’s a piece of work for sure.”

Ruby raised her eyebrows. “Regina? You’re on a first name basis with the spawn of Satan? Since when?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Uh, I guess I am. Well sorta. She calls me Miss Swan still. The night I had you cover for me, we went to this rooftop bar for drinks.” 

Ruby waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Oh yeah? And she convinced you she wasn’t evil?”

Emma shoved Ruby playfully. “Cut it out, we’re like, friends I guess. She’s really nice to talk to.”

Ruby laughed. “Come on Em, I saw the way you looked at her when she was in The Rabbit Hole. I thought I was going to have to clean your drool off the floor at the end of the night. And we both know tan brunettes are your weakness.” This was true. Granted, Emma hadn’t actually been in a relationship since Neal, she went on dates with a few men and women in the last 15 years and all of them were tan brunettes. 

“Yeah, well, she’s straight! And going through a divor-” Emma clamped her mouth shut and closed her eyes berating herself for telling what was probably not something Regina wanted her to repeat.

“Oh, damn. Well yeah, don’t get sucked down the straight girl crush vortex man, nothing good ever comes from it.” Ruby said, thankfully ignoring the slip that Emma had made.

“I know, I won’t. We’re just friends. Well almost. I want to be friends with her. Like I said, she’s really good company.” 

Emma told Ruby about her night and they finished the 6-pack with laughs and conversation until Ruby stood up to leave.

“I gotta head out dude. Gran is coming over super early in the morning and I don’t want to be too hungover in the morning. I swear she is part wolf, she can smell beer on me from across the room three days after I’ve drank.” 

Emma walked Ruby to the door and hugged her before closing the door behind her.


End file.
